JP4810103B2 - Battery box - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery box provided in a camera that can use batteries of different standards.

Many of recent cameras are configured to use a dedicated battery. For example, a lithium primary battery has a higher weight energy density and volume energy density than a lithium secondary battery, and is particularly suitable for use as a power source for a digital camera with high power consumption. However, lithium primary batteries developed for cameras are not manufactured by many manufacturers, and the sales channels are not yet sufficient, so it is difficult to obtain them overseas and it may be inconvenient to use the camera. Therefore, in recent years, cameras capable of using a general-purpose AA battery that is easily available in other countries besides the general-purpose lithium primary battery and the dedicated lithium secondary battery have been provided. For example, in Patent Document 1, a part of a camera body that covers a battery box of a dedicated battery has a drawer structure as a battery chamber forming member, and when the battery chamber forming member is pulled out, an AA battery is stored instead of the dedicated battery. To be able to. In this way, even when a dedicated battery is not available, the camera can be used with a readily available AA battery.
JP 2002-208387 A

  In addition, the digital camera provided by the present applicant has a structure in which an AA battery can be used in addition to the lithium primary battery. For example, the digital camera shown in FIG. 1 includes a battery box 10 in the grip portion 3 of the camera body 1, and a battery lid 12 provided on the bottom plate 1 a of the camera body 1 is opened and closed by a hinge so that the battery is placed in the battery box 10. It is intended to put in and out. In addition, the battery lid 12 is configured to be locked by sliding in the B1 direction in a closed state so that the battery lid 12 does not open. Since this digital camera is configured to be driven by a 6 V power source, the battery box 10 is provided with either four AA batteries or two CR-V3 batteries (lithium primary batteries). You can select and use. As shown in FIG. 14A, the AA battery D1 has a cylindrical shape having a required diameter dimension d1 and length dimension L1, and the positive electrode + is on the upper end surface and the negative electrode − is on the other end surface. Is provided. The CR-V3 battery D2 has the same configuration as two AA batteries arranged in parallel as shown in FIG. 14B, and thus has substantially the same width dimension d2 as the AA batteries. The length L2 is slightly longer than the AA battery D1 (approximately 2.5 mm), and a positive electrode + and a negative electrode-are provided side by side on one end face.

  In order to be able to use 4 AA batteries and 2 CR-V3 batteries in this way, the battery box can be loaded with 4 AA batteries in a 2x2 array in parallel. The two CR-V3 batteries can be loaded in parallel in the thickness direction. Although not shown, a battery contact piece processed with a spring metal piece is fixed on the inner surface of the battery cover of the battery box to make electrical connection in contact with the electrode of the battery. When the battery is closed, the battery contact piece is elastically contacted with the electrode of the battery for electrical connection.

  In the above-described battery box proposed by the present applicant, there is no need to pull out the battery chamber forming member outside the camera body as in Patent Document 1, so that the appearance of the camera is not deteriorated and the camera can be held and used. There is an advantage that it is not impaired. However, since the dimensional difference in length (also referred to as height) between the AA battery and the CR-V3 battery is large, a problem occurs when the battery contact piece and the battery electrode come into contact when the battery cover 12 is closed. That is, FIGS. 15A and 15B are cross-sectional views comparing the states when the AA batteries D1 and the CR-V3 batteries D2 are loaded in the same battery box 11. FIG. If the spring force of the battery contact piece 112 is designed to make the battery contact piece 112 elastically contact with the electrode + of the short AA battery D1 as shown in FIG. As described above, when the CR-V3 battery D2 having a long length is used, the flexure dimension of the battery contact piece 112 becomes large, and the spring force of the battery contact piece 112 becomes large. Therefore, this spring force acts on the battery lid 12 at the bottom of the CR-V3 battery D2, and a relatively large force is required when closing the battery lid 12, making it difficult to close the battery lid 12. Further, since the spring force of the battery contact piece 12 is always applied to the battery cover 12 in the closed state, the battery cover 12 is to be unlocked when the battery cover 12 is opened. The operation when sliding is also difficult. Conversely, when the spring force of the battery contact piece 112 is reduced, when the AA battery D1 having a short length is installed, the battery contact piece 112 is provided on the battery lid 12 side so that the AA batteries are connected in series. In the provided battery contact piece (not shown), the electrical contact with the electrode of the AA battery D1 becomes insufficient.

  The object of the present invention is to enable appropriate electrical contact when batteries with different standards such as length dimensions are installed in the battery box, and to easily perform operations when installing or taking out the batteries. A battery box is provided.

According to the present invention, a first battery having a short length and a second battery having a longer length are selected through the opening, and are installed in the length direction, and the battery contact piece is brought into electrical contact with the installed battery. And a battery lid that opens and closes the opening of the box portion, and includes a movable battery contact piece that can be advanced and retracted to a position that covers the opening portion of the box portion. The first battery is advanced to a position that covers the opening when the battery is installed, and is housed in the box when the second battery is installed. Further, the movable battery contact piece is supported at the edge of the opening of the box part so as to be rotatable along the battery interior direction, and is housed in a storage recess provided on the inner surface of the box part. It is set as the structure which can be rotated between the outward positions which open | release an opening part. Alternatively, the movable battery contact piece is supported at the edge of the opening of the box part so as to be rotatable along the battery interior direction, and between the position covering the opening of the box part and the outer position opening the opening. And is configured to be housed by a slide structure in a housing recess provided on the inner surface of the box portion.

According to the present invention, when the second battery having a long length is installed, it is designed so that the electrical contact by the battery contact piece is appropriate, so that the interior of the second battery, the removal operation, particularly It is possible to appropriately open and close the battery cover with a small operating force, and in the case of the first battery having a short length, the movable battery contact piece is interposed between the battery cover and the battery cover. Is equivalent to the case where a battery having the same length as that of the second battery is housed, and enables suitable electric contact by the battery contact piece, and also suitable electric contact for the movable battery contact piece. Thus, the battery lid can be opened and closed properly with a small operating force when the battery is installed and removed.

  In the present invention, by providing the spring means for biasing the movable battery contact piece in the direction of opening the opening, it is possible to reduce the operation of the movable battery contact piece during the interior and removal of the battery. In particular, the operation can be minimized by providing a click mechanism for holding the movable battery contact piece at a position covering the opening. In addition, the movable battery contact piece can be housed in the housing recess by a slide structure, so that the structure can be simplified. Furthermore, a pair of movable battery contact pieces are provided on opposite sides of the opening of the box part, so that it can be applied when four AA batteries are installed.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an interchangeable lens type digital single-lens reflex camera, as viewed from the lower front side. In FIG. 1, a lens mount 2 is disposed on the front surface of the camera body 1, and an imaging lens not shown in the figure is attached to the lens mount 2. On the left side of the camera body 1 as viewed from the front, there is provided a grip portion 3 when the photographer holds the camera with his right hand. A main switch 4 and a setting dial 5 which are partially shown in the figure are arranged. A battery box 10 formed separately from the camera body 1 is housed in the grip portion 3, and the battery box 10 constitutes a part of the bottom plate 1 a of the camera body 1, and the battery A battery lid 12 for opening and closing a lower opening of the box 10 to be described later is provided. When opening and closing the lower opening, the battery cover 12 can be rotated in the A1 direction in FIG. 1 and the A2 direction opposite thereto, and can be slid in the B1 direction in FIG. 1 and the B2 direction opposite thereto. It is possible.

  2 is a perspective view of the battery box 10 taken out from the camera body 1 of FIG. The battery box is composed of a box-shaped box portion 11 having a lower opening 111 having a lower end opened, and the battery lid 12 that opens and closes the lower opening 111, and each is formed by resin molding. The box part is formed in the shape and size of an internal volume in which two AA batteries are arranged two by two vertically and horizontally, or two CR-V3 batteries can be arranged in parallel. The battery lid 12 is connected by a hinge 121 so that it can be opened and closed on one side of the lower opening 111 of the box 111. In addition, on the end surface of the lower opening 111 of the box portion 11, battery lid locking pieces 112 are formed to protrude from both side portions along the sliding direction B1. These battery lid locking pieces 112 are fixedly formed on the end surface of the lower opening 111, and a locking groove opened in the B2 direction opposite to the B1 direction is formed between the battery lid locking piece 112 and the end surface. The cross section is formed in an inverted L shape.

  On the other hand, on both sides of the inner surface of the battery cover 12 facing the battery cover locking pieces 112, the battery cover is engaged with the battery cover locking pieces 112 when the battery cover is slid in the B1 direction as described above. A battery lid latching claw 122 having a possible L-shaped cross section is formed to protrude. Accordingly, when the battery cover 12 is rotated and closed in the A1 direction and slid in the B1 direction of FIG. 1 parallel to the bottom plate of the camera body 1, the battery cover engagement pieces 122 are respectively attached to the battery cover engagement pieces 112. The battery lid 12 is locked to the box portion 11. Conversely, the battery lid 12 is slid in the B2 direction opposite to the B1 direction in FIG. It can be opened in the direction. The hinge 121 is loosely connected so that the battery lid 12 can be slid by a small dimension relative to the box portion 11 in the directions of arrows B1 and B2.

  FIG. 3 is an external perspective view with the battery box 10 turned upside down and the battery lid 12 is removed. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. In the upper part of the box part 11 (lower part in FIGS. 3 and 4), four AA battery electrodes are installed, in other words, four positions corresponding to two electrodes of two CR-V3 batteries. Opening windows 11a are respectively opened at the side surfaces, and four battery contact pieces 113 are formed by bending a metal plate having a spring property through each opening window 11a into a strip shape. Each of the battery contact pieces 113 has a tip 113a that enters the upper bottom surface of the box portion 11 and is bent into a substantially “<” shape so as to come into contact with each electrode of the battery built in the box portion 11. It is possible. Here, when a long CR-V3 battery is installed, the bottom of the CR-V3 battery protrudes from the lower opening 111 of the box part 11 by a small dimension, and the battery cover 12 can be easily opened and closed. Each battery contact piece 113 is designed so that the tip 113a has an appropriate size and spring force. The base end portion 113b of each battery contact piece 113 extends along the outer bottom surface of the box portion 11, and is prevented from being detached by being engaged with a locking claw 11b provided on the outer bottom surface. . Needless to say, each of the four battery contact pieces 113 is electrically connected to a circuit inside the camera by a conductive lead not shown in the drawing.

  Further, in the side surface regions facing each other on the lower side of the box portion 11, that is, in the side surface region corresponding to the front of each CR-V3 battery when the CR-V3 battery is installed, a required size region from the opening 111 is provided. Projecting portions 114 projecting outward are provided, and a pair of movable battery contact pieces 115 can be pivoted in the vertical direction of the drawing at the edges of these projecting portions 114, in other words. In other words, it is supported in such a way that it can be opened. These movable battery contact pieces 115 are formed by processing a metal plate. When the AA batteries are installed in the box portion 11, the movable battery contact pieces 115 come into contact with the + and − electrodes of the adjacent AA batteries, respectively. Both electrodes are short-circuited in series. Each movable battery contact piece 115 has a butterfly wing shape, and a convex portion 115a and a circular hole 115b are provided on the inner surface of the movable battery contact piece 115 so as to contact the + electrode and the − electrode of the AA battery. Further, a contact protrusion 115c that contacts the inner surface of the battery lid 12 is formed on the outer surface by bending.

  A bearing plate 116 formed by processing a metal plate having a spring property is fixed to the outer surface of the protruding portion 114 of the box portion 11 by screws 11c, and the support shaft 117 is supported at both ends in a horizontal state by the bearing plate 116. The base end portion of the movable battery contact piece 115 is pivotally supported on the support shaft 117. A torsion spring 118 is wound around the support shaft 117, and the torsion spring 118 urges the movable battery contact piece 115 to rotate toward the outside of the lower opening 111. Further, a click spring piece 116 a having a tongue shape toward the support shaft 117 is integrally provided on a part of the bearing plate 116, and the click spring piece 116 a is a base portion of the movable battery contact piece 115. When the inverted L-shaped click piece 115d provided on the movable battery contact piece 115 is rotated together with the movable battery contact piece 115, the click piece 115d can be faced in the middle of the rotation.

  A storage recess 119 for storing the movable battery contact piece 115 along the inner surface is formed on the inner surface side of the protruding portion 114 of the box portion 11. That is, as shown in FIG. 5 which is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3, when the movable battery contact piece 115 is rotated inward of the box portion 11 by the support shaft 117, the movable battery contact piece 115 is moved. Each battery can be housed in the box portion 11 even when the movable battery contact piece 115 is housed in the housing recess 119 while being housed in the housing recess 119 along the inner surface of the box portion 11. It is like that.

  An operation when the battery box 10 having the above configuration is equipped with a battery and taken out will be described. FIG. 6 shows a state in which a CR-V3 battery is housed in the battery box. In addition, the figure referred hereafter shows the case where a battery is equipped with the camera facing upside down. As shown in FIG. 6A, two CR-V3 batteries are installed from the lower opening 111 of the box 11 with the battery lid 12 opened in the A2 direction. At this time, the movable battery contact piece 115 is urged outward by the torsion spring 118 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, but the click piece 115d is engaged with the outside of the click spring piece 116a. The movable battery contact piece 115 is at a position covering the lower opening 111 of the box portion 11. When the CR-V3 battery D2 is installed in the box part 11 from this state, the movable battery contact piece 115 is pushed by the battery D2 and rotated into the box part 11 against the spring force of the torsion spring 118. When the CR-V3 battery D2 is installed, it is housed in the housing recess 119 in the box portion 11 as shown in FIG. This state is the same as the state shown in FIG. This state is shown in the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. Therefore, it is possible to carry out the interior of the battery D2 without directly operating the movable battery contact piece 115.

  When the CR-V3 battery D2 is housed in the box part 11, the battery contact piece 113 is designed to have an appropriate size and spring force corresponding to the CR-V3 battery D2, so that the electrode of the CR-V3D battery D2 The spring force generated in the battery contact piece 113 when it contacts the battery contact piece 113 is small, and the CR-V3 battery D2 can be built up to the back of the box portion 11. Therefore, as shown in the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 8, in this state, the battery lid 12 is rotated in the A1 direction to close the lower opening 111 of the box portion 11, and the battery lid 12 is kept in the closed state while being closed. 2, the battery lid locking claw 122 shown in FIG. 2 enters the locking groove of the battery lid locking piece 113, so that the battery lid 12 is locked to the box portion 11 and the battery lid 12 is closed. The state will be maintained. On the contrary, when the battery D2 is taken out from the battery box 10, when the battery cover is slid in the direction B2 in FIG. It becomes possible to take out the battery D2 from the box part 11 by rotating in the A2 direction around the axis of and opening.

  On the other hand, when the AA battery is mounted in the battery box, the pair of movable battery contact pieces 115 are opened in the direction along the length direction of the box portion 11 as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in a longitudinal sectional view in FIG. 10, the click piece 115d is positioned inwardly over the click spring piece 116a, and the movable battery contact piece 115 is maintained in its open state by the spring force of the torsion spring 118. Is done. As a result, the lower opening 111 of the box portion 11 is opened, and four AA batteries D1 can be housed in the box portion 11.

  After the AA battery D1 is housed in the box part 11, as shown in FIG. 9B and FIG. 11, when the movable battery contact piece 115 is returned to the position covering the lower opening 111, the click piece 115d. Gets over the click spring piece 116a in the opposite direction, and the movable battery contact piece 115 is overlaid on the bottom of the AA battery D1. However, in this state, the AA battery D1 installed inside is urged upward in the figure by the spring force of the battery contact piece 113 in the box portion 11, and therefore the movable battery contact piece 115 is pushed up from below by the battery D1. It is in a slightly open state.

  After that, as in the case of the CR-V3 battery, as shown in FIG. 12, the battery cover 12 is rotated and closed in the A1 direction so that the inner surface of the battery cover 12 contacts the back surface of the movable battery contact piece 115. Since the movable battery contact piece 115 is pressed against the protrusion 115c and pressed against the AA battery D1 side by the battery lid 12, the electrode of the AA battery terminal D1 provided therein is in contact with the movable battery contact piece 115, respectively. Each two AA batteries D1 are short-circuited in series and electrically connected. At the same time, since the movable battery contact piece 115 is interposed between the battery cover 12 and the AA battery D1, the AA battery D1 is shorter than the CR-V3 battery. The battery D1 is pushed upward (downward in the figure) by the battery lid 12 and the movable battery contact piece 115, and the upper electrode of each AA battery D1 is applied to the battery contact piece 113 by an appropriate spring force. Electrically contacted. Then, the battery lid 12 can be held in a closed state by sliding the battery lid 12 in the B1 direction and engaging the battery lid latching claw 122 shown in FIG. Since the spring force by the battery contact piece 113 at this time is designed to be small in advance as described above, the battery cover 12 can be slid with a small force. Thus, when the AA battery D1 is installed, it is necessary to operate the movable battery contact piece 115 to the opening position and then perform the closing operation. However, only this operation is necessary. Can be performed with minimal operations. When the AA battery D1 is taken out from the battery box 10, the battery cover 12 is slid in the direction B2 in FIG. 2, but even in this case, it can be slid with a small force. When the battery cover 12 is opened, the movable battery contact piece 115 is opened on both sides using the spring force of the torsion spring 118, so that the state shown in FIG. The three-type battery D1 can be taken out.

  Thus, in Example 1, the battery contact piece 113 of the battery box 10 is designed so that an appropriate spring force can be obtained for a long CR-V3 battery, so that the interior of the CR-V3 battery, The take-out operation, in particular, the opening / closing operation of the battery lid 12 can be appropriately performed with a small operation force. On the other hand, in the case of an AA battery having a short length, since the movable battery contact piece 115 is interposed between the battery lid 12 and the battery of substantially the same length as the CR-V3 battery, It is equivalent, the amount of bending of the battery contact piece 113 is substantially the same, electric contact with an appropriate spring force is ensured in the battery contact piece 113, and suitable electric contact is also possible for the movable battery contact piece 115, and the battery Thus, the battery lid 12 can be appropriately opened and closed with a small operating force during the interior and removal of the battery.

  In the first embodiment, the movable battery contact piece 115 is rotated and stored in the storage recess 119 in the box portion 11. However, the movable battery contact piece 115 may be slid and stored in the storage recess 119. For example, as shown in a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the main part in FIG. 13A, both end portions of the support shaft 117 of the movable battery contact piece 115 are provided along the length direction on both sides of the inner surface of the storage recess 119. The support shaft 117 is supported by a pair of guide grooves 11 d and configured to be slidable in the length direction of the box portion 11. In the second embodiment, the bearing plate 116 of the first embodiment is omitted. Although the torsion spring 118 is provided with a small spring force, this may be omitted, and the movable battery contact piece 115 may simply be supported rotatably with respect to the support shaft 117.

  In Example 2, when the CR-V3 battery is installed, the movable battery contact piece 115 is pushed into the housing recess 119 so that the support shaft 117 is moved along the guide groove 11d as shown in FIG. 13B. Since the movable battery contact piece 115 can be housed in the housing recess 119, the CR-V3 battery can be housed in the box portion 11 as in the first embodiment. On the other hand, in the case of installing an AA battery, the movable battery contact piece 115 is pulled out from the storage recess 119 while keeping the support shaft 117 along the guide groove 11d, thereby moving the movable battery as shown in FIG. The contact piece 115 is slid to the outside of the lower opening 111 of the box portion 11, and the movable battery contact piece 115 is opened in this state to house the AA battery. Thereafter, the movable battery contact piece 115 is closed so as to cover the AA battery, and the battery cover 12 is then closed. When taking out each battery, the reverse operation may be performed.

  In the second embodiment, manual operation when the movable battery contact piece 115 is housed or positioned so as to cover the AA battery is slightly increased as compared with the first embodiment. Since it can be simplified, it is effective in applying to a simple structure or an inexpensive battery box.

  In each of the above embodiments, an example of a battery box that can use AA batteries and CR-V3 batteries has been shown. However, batteries of different lengths and shapes can be used, and battery covers can be used. The present invention can be similarly applied to any battery box configured to be rotated by a hinge and to be slid and locked. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the battery box of a camera, but can be applied to battery boxes of various electronic devices that use a battery as a power source.

It is the perspective view which looked at the camera of Example 1 of this invention from the front side lower direction. 1 is a perspective view of a battery box of Example 1. FIG. It is the perspective view which turned the battery box upside down. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which follows the XX line of FIG. It is a perspective view of the state which accommodated the movable battery contact piece. It is a perspective view for demonstrating operation which installs a CR-V3 battery. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state in the middle of decorating a CR-V3 battery. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a state in which a CR-V3 battery is installed. It is a perspective view for demonstrating operation which carries an AA battery internally. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state in the middle of housing an AA battery. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state in the middle of housing an AA battery. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a state in which an AA battery is installed. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a part of Example 2. It is the perspective view which compared the AA battery and the CR-V3 battery. It is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which equipped the AA battery and CR-V3 battery in the battery box.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera body 2 Lens mount 3 Battery cover 10 Battery box 11 Box part 12 Battery cover 112 Battery cover latching piece 113 Battery contact piece 115 Movable battery contact piece 116 Bearing plate 117 Support shaft 118 Torsion spring 119 Storage recessed part 122 Battery cover latching Claw D1 AA battery D2 CR-V3 battery

Claims (6)

A box portion for selecting a first battery having a short length and a second battery having a long length through an opening and installing the battery in a longitudinal direction; A battery lid that opens and closes the opening of the unit, and includes a movable battery contact piece that can move forward and backward to a position that covers the opening of the box portion, and the movable battery contact piece is the first battery The battery is advanced to a position that covers the opening when the battery is installed, and is housed in the box when the second battery is installed , and the movable battery contact piece is the box part. The opening is supported at the edge of the opening of the battery so as to be rotatable along the direction of the interior of the battery, and is opened in an inward position stored in a storage recess provided on the inner surface of the box. It can be pivoted to the outside position Battery box, characterized in that. A box portion for selecting a first battery having a short length and a second battery having a long length through an opening and installing the battery in a longitudinal direction; A battery lid that opens and closes the opening of the unit, and includes a movable battery contact piece that can move forward and backward to a position that covers the opening of the box portion, and the movable battery contact piece is the first battery The battery is advanced to a position that covers the opening when the battery is installed, and is housed in the box when the second battery is installed, and the movable battery contact piece is the box part. The edge of the opening is supported so as to be rotatable along the battery interior direction, and is rotatable between a position covering the opening of the box and an outer position opening the opening. And inside the box portion Battery box, which is a construction to be accommodated by the sliding structure was housed in a recess provided in the. The battery box according to claim 1, further comprising spring means for biasing the movable battery contact piece in a direction of opening the opening.   The battery box according to claim 3, further comprising a click mechanism for holding the movable battery contact piece at a position covering the opening.   5. The battery box according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the movable battery contact pieces are provided on opposite sides of the opening of the box portion. 6. The first battery is an AA battery, the second battery is a CR-V3 battery, and the movable battery contact piece is configured as a short-circuit contact piece that electrically connects two AA batteries to each other. The battery box according to claim 5 , wherein the battery box is formed.

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